“Don’t test me,” Anna retorted smoothly. “You’ve seen me in court, haven’t you?” Her smirk was just as teasing as it was taunting. “I always win my case.”
Lars’ own smirk peaked her curiosity. Interested to hear what he’d say, she answered, “Why don’t you? I just need to make sure we’re on the same page.” Her brown eyes were soft and illuminated with the playfulness and warmth of the moment as she watched him.
“Why do you think I never go up against you?” he chuckled. “I prefer working with you anyways.”
Lars shrugged at the little challenge and picked up his glass. “Two reasons. One, our personalities just plain don't mix. We are oil and water.” he explained before smirking. “And reason number two… Harry is an asshole.”
Anna hummed with satisfaction at his remarks. “I prefer working with you too,” she replied. “Even if I do most of the work.” She couldn’t let the banter drop. It was too easy to tease him.
She nodded in agreement as Lars explained his first reason for disliking Harry. He wasn’t wrong, Anna thought as she sipped from her wine. But she definitely wasn’t expecting his second reason. She quickly covered her mouth to avoid spitting her wine on the table. Her eyes were wide and surprised, and her cheeks flamed with an embarrassed blush. She managed to swallow and blurted, “Lars!”
“Excuse me, I’ve pulled my weight in every case we’ve worked on together.” he pointed out, mockingly indignant. “I just let you do most of the actual arguing in front of the judge and jury.” he added with a smirk.
Lars couldn't help but grin as Anna reacted to his second statement. He honestly had not been going for the shock factor with the comment. “What? Am I wrong?” he asked, chuckling a little as he took a sip of his own.
Anna rolled her eyes. “Exactly,” she griped with a little grin. “The arguing and presenting in court is most of the work! And you just love to sit and watch me argue instead of consulting.” She bit her lip to keep from giggling at the end of her sentence.
Once the poor woman had recovered, she shook her head slightly. “Well, no,” she admitted hesitantly. Even while divorcing him, it took a lot to get Anna to speak poorly about Harry. Only when she was incredibly upset did she speak without thought, and that was rare.
“And you're so good at it. I don't want to get in your way and ruin the effect.” he said, not even trying to hide how much he was enjoying this. “Besides, I still do plenty of consulting before then, when we're building the case.”
Lars nodded, a bit more serious, as Anna conceded his point. “I admit, I may be a bit biased with that and for all I know he probably thinks that I'm one too, but I stand by what I said.”
Anna rolled her eyes. "I think what you mean to say is that I'm better at presenting and direct examination than you are," she cooed sweetly. Though she couldn't help a laugh. "What effect?"
As the mood became more serious, Anna swallowed and avoided Lars' gaze. The man across from her had been the source of many arguments between her and Harry over the past few weeks, and he had no idea. She hadn't once mentioned it, not wanting him to feel guilty about any conflicts between the couple.
All she said was, "I know you do" before taking a long sip of wine.
“I’m not denying that.” he grinned back. “The effect of a strong woman arguing confidently in front of so many people, of course. It's really an amazing sight.” he complimented.
Lars furrowed his brow at the way Anna wouldn’t look at him and her soft words. He could tell something was wrong but he also suspected that she wouldn't tell him. She was too private to share personal problems like this one with him. But he had to ask. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he said gently.
Anna blushed brilliantly. "Oh," she murmured, a shy smile edging on her face. She hadn't really thought of it that way. In court, Anna only ever wanted what was best for her client, which made her a very popular barrister.
Her eyes lifted to him at the gentleness of his tone. "It's…" she began before hesitating. Should she tell him? Would Harry be upset if she did? Well, chances are he was already irritated with her. So, Anna inhaled slowly and averted her gaze as she spoke. "Harry and I… we've had arguments about you." The plural 's' stood out to her like a sore thumb. Between the married-on-the-verge-of-divorced couple, Larson was a very sore subject.
Lars smiled a little at her blush. It hadn't been his intention to embarrass her, just tell her an honest compliment.
He waited patiently for her to get the words out but his eyes widened at the confession. “What? Why?” he asked, more than a little surprised that he was the cause of another problem for Anna.
Anna missed his smile, looking back at Lars just in time to see his eyes widen. Great. This hadn't been what she'd wanted at all. A relaxing, peaceful lunch with a friend after a client interrogation. Not the confession that he'd been a point of conflict for her and her ex-husband.
"It's stupid. It's nothing. I-I… I shouldn't have told you," Anna blurted quickly. She didn't want to tell him, but… if he asked again, she would. He was her friend after all. And keeping secrets from him hurt her.
“No, please.” Lars assured. “I was just surprised. It's not nothing. You can tell me. What happened?” he asked, worried about his friend.
Anna shifted in her seat and drained the rest of her wine. She began to rotate her wedding ring around her finger as she hesitated again. It was her biggest nervous tell.
"It's…" she began slowly. "Harry is envious of how close we are. He doesn't like that we share an office, just the two of us. He doesn't like the number of cases we've worked together on." Then, she leaned slightly across the table, her embarrassed blush flaming on her face, to whisper, "He thinks you and I had an affair before our marriage became estranged. He's entirely convinced it happened. And I've denied it every time he brings it up, but he doesn't believe me."
Lars sighed, running his hand through his hair at her words. “I'm going to… need you to hold me back next time I see him.” he mumbled. “I can't believe this. We've been friends for so long and just because he’s a no-good git…” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Anna.”
Anna straightened in her chair and didn't look at him. She didn't want to see his reaction. Her expression remained as unwavering as she could manage… until he apologized. To her.
She immediately pulled her gaze back to him, shock and confusion written plainly on her face. "Larson," she whispered, fighting the tears threatening to pool in her eyes. "It isn't your fault. If anything, it's mine."
Lars shook his head. “No, it's not your fault either.” he argued. “I just can't believe that Harry is so insecure with you that he fabricated this kind if delusion and is taking it out on you.” he sighed. “I almost want to look up a psychiatrist and force him to go there.”
Anna swallowed heavily and laced her fingers together to keep them from trembling in her lap. She shook her head and blinked quickly to keep her tears at bay. "I shouldn't have told you any of this," she replied. "I didn't want you to know."
Though Larson's comment made her scoff very quietly under her breath. "Well, he's slept with plenty of other women since I made him leave," Anna muttered offhandedly.
“Hey, I’m glad you told me.” he assured. “I mean, I hate that he’s putting you through this but I appreciate you telling me.” Lars amended. Though he tried not to sneer when Anna admitted to Harry’s promiscuity. “I'm sorry about that too.”
Anna forced a smile onto her face, even if it was fleeting. "I didn't want you to hate Harry more than you already do. But I suppose my efforts are in vain now," she added wryly.
"You don't have to be," she sighed. "I… There's been many things I haven't told you about Harry because I'm afraid that if I do…" Anna trailed off, letting her message come across through the silence. Lars would likely be one of her clients if she told him every detail of her relationship with Harry over the past few months.
“Anna, I'm sorry to say this but, there is nothing you can say that will make me like him.” Lars admitted. There was no point in pretending, the only thing that could make them at least civil to each other would be if Anna was in trouble. Though Lars wasn't sure how much Harry actually cared considering all he put her through.
“You don't have to tell me everything.” he assured her. “But you can tell me if something is really bothering you.”
Anna sighed and closed her eyes. "I know," she conceded. "I think… I've known for a while." Her eyes opened again, revealing the truth and the sadness she felt because of it. She had loved Harry, she still did somehow. But Lars… Lars, she loved a different way.
Uncomfortable emotions settled in her for a minute before she brushed a piece of her hair out of her face. "I'm sure you heard my phone call in the office this morning," she began, both accusing and accepting. She knew he'd heard, yet she didn't mind.
Lars nodded, a little apologetic at the fact but there was really nothing he could do about it. He cared about Anna… A lot. If she hadn't met Harry first, he wouldn't have minded being married to her or being Daisy’s father.
“I did.” he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck and giving her a shy smile as he tried not to blush.
Anna cared for Lars in a way she hadn’t cared for anybody but Daisy before. She cared for him like he was intended for her and only her. Because she did want him. But until she was properly divorced from Harry…. She could never have him the way she wanted him.
She gave a faint smile in return. “I figured as much,” she murmured. “Harry… came to my flat this morning. He said he missed Daisy and I, so I let him in. Her ate breakfast, we talked, and he left. Not twenty minutes later, there was a bailiff at my door asking if Harry was home then asking where he’d gone.”
Lars nodded, obviously concerned, trying to keep his calm lawyerly expression in place. Though he knew Anna was too familiar with the look. “Did he say what he wanted Harry for? How much trouble he was in or anything?” he asked, wanting to help anyway he could.
Anna shook her head. "No," she answered. "He didn't. But…" She took a breath to calm herself down. In the moment, there hadn't been any fear. Only projected strength and assertiveness. But thinking about it afterward…
"Daisy answered the door first. I made her go out of sight before I spoke to him. He asked where Harry was, and I said I had no idea where he was. I didn't. By that point, it had been twenty minutes since he'd left, and I didn't know where he'd gone. He asked to come inside and discuss it, but I told him no. When I asked who he was, he didn't answer. But…"
Her eyes met Larson's and she saw through his cool demeanor to someone who was trying to hold his anger back. "He called me by my name. He knew who I was. Right before he left, he said, 'Have a nice day, Anna.'"